10 Best Games Like Genshin Impact: Anime-Style RPGs in 2026

Every game you’ll see here features at least two traits that made Genshin Impact the awesome game it is today; a vast, interactive open world, gorgeous anime aesthetics, flashy characters, an intense party-centric combat system, thrilling gacha mechanics, and a strong, overarching narrative that’ll keep you on your toes.

I’ll also give you some pointers on spotting good Genshin -likes yourself, so don’t forget to take notes!

Our Top Picks for Games Like Genshin Impact

• Here are our team’s top picks for the games we think all
• Genshin Impact

players looking for an alternative would love to play, ranging from online games where you can collect characters you like via in-game currencies to the best single-player game that closely resembles Genshin thematically, even without a gacha system.

Wuthering Waves

ACTION RPG

The closest game to Genshin Impact in terms of story, characters, combat, exploration, visuals, and overall gameplay feel. It’s by far the best Genshin-like not made by miHoYo to be released yet.

Honkai: Star Rail

JRPG

A turn-based, anime-style gacha by mihoYo that’s set in the same universe as Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

JRPG

A single-player JRPG that features team-based, real-time combat and beautifully-crafted, anime-style visuals and storytelling that’s reminiscent of Genshin’s.

These games are the best of the best and certainly won’t disappoint both casual and veteran Genshin fans, but in case you’ve already tried these games and didn’t like any of them, don’t fret. I have seven other terrific Genshin -likes for you to look at below, a few of which may just be the game you’re looking for.

10 Fantastic Anime Games Like Genshin Impact You’ll Get Hooked On

Listed below are the highest-tier Genshin -like games I’ve come across throughout my many years of searching for excellent alternatives.

Wuthering Waves [Best Genshin Impact Alternative]

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• Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS, PlayStation 5, macOS
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• Kuro Games

Wuthering Waves

• boasts significantly more similarities to
• Genshin Impact

than any other title on this list. It features 3D anime visuals, patch-by-patch story, event, and character releases, a vast world you can explore freely, intense character-swap combat, tons of side content, and a gacha system that allows players to collect new characters via in-game currency.

It’s not a 1-for-1 copy of Genshin, however. Wuthering Waves separates itself quite nicely by having a darker main plot, farmable “Echoes” that allow you to transform into monsters you encounter in combat, as well as a generally more F2P-friendly approach when it comes to the gacha and freebies.

Simply put, it’s one of the best open-world games that’s also a free-to-play gacha, rivalling even Genshin Impact in its own category.

What makes the game shine:

Expansive open-world traversal lets you glide, wallrun, and use a grappling hook mid-air.

Real-time character-swapping combat features intro/outro skills and reactive counterattacks.

Gacha-based progression driven by Convenes and a pity system, with cross-platform availability and consistent event drops.

Pro tip

Version 2.4 launched globally on June 12, 2025, introducing new areas, playable characters like Cartethyia, fresh combat modes, and more.

Wuthering Waves

has the essence of Genshin Impact with its beautiful 3D anime visuals and gacha-fueled character collection. It carves out its own niche through more tactical combat and the unique Echo system for monster transformations. It’s not just similar but often superior in mechanics and player-friendliness.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Best Game for Open World Exploration

Our Score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Nintendo Switch, Wii U, Nintendo Switch 2 Release Year Nintendo EPD Who would’ve known that the game Genshin Impact was accused of being a “clone” of would be on this list? Sarcasm aside, it’s not really that hard to see why the well-regarded gacha game has drawn plenty of comparisons with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

From its implementation of stimulating, creative puzzles to its breathtaking open world aesthetics, this game had such an influence on Genshin Impact that miHoYo developers themselves admitted that they were inspired by it. Offering hours of quality story, a dynamic combat system, and an excellently interactive open world,

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

is amazing.

What makes the game shine:

Pioneered a chemistry + physics engine that enables elements to interact to each other like IRL.

Laid the foundation for stamina-based gliding, climbing, and stamina management.

Featured over 100 hours of exploration-rich gameplay.

Pro tip

Elemental arrows add flat damage bonuses (+10 for fire/ice; +20 for shock), and using shock arrows in rain or water doubles the damage via an AoE effect.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

revolutionized open-world design by combining elemental physics, free-form exploration, and a literally reactive environment. It remains the gold standard and a fitting inclusion on this list for any Genshin fan seeking the genre’s origin.

Tales of Arise

Best Action JRPG Like Genshin Impact

Our Score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S Release Year Bandai Namco Studios Tales of Arise stands out as one of the best JRPG games released this decade, thanks to its incredible story about revolution, top-notch anime graphics, and a combat system that’s centered around elemental combos and team synergies.

Despite not being fully open-world, this game has several large maps with unique biomes and lots of sub-quests, which is just fantastic if you like completing quests and exploring content that are largely unrelated to the main plot, yet expand the game’s lore and world-building just as well.

Moreover, the well-written characters in

Tales of Arise

really sell the game for me. I just love how fleshed out they are compared to your run-of-the-mill JRPGs.

What makes the game shine:

Features 70 base-game side-quests (plus 40 DLC).

“Boost Strikes”

allow up to four characters to execute coordinated attack chains.

Immerses you in sprawling maps across diverse biomes.

Pro tip

Boost Strikes refresh your Artes Gauge and combo chain. Performing them mid-combo maintains combo momentum.

Tales of Arise

delivers a commercial and critical triumph, earning accolades like The Game Awards’ Best RPG 2021. For Genshin fans seeking a truly complete JRPG,

Tales of Arise

offers a compelling experience worth every hour.

Tower of Fantasy [Best Gacha MMORPG]

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• In

Tower of Fantasy

, players explore a massive open world with other players visible on the map, effectively making this title a gacha MMORPG. This was quite a welcome surprise in the anime gacha genre upon its release date, as even Genshin Impact only has co-op support and can’t really be considered a true MMO.

It has a real-time combat system focusing on weapon swaps instead of Genshin’s character switching, as you only control one unit and pull for weapons in this game. You do get the character model that a specific weapon you pulled belongs to, but it’s just mostly cosmetics. You can ignore them entirely and play as your customizable main character with any weapon.

What makes the game shine:

True shared-world MMO elements so you can roam an open world alongside other players.

Weapon-focused real-time combat makes gameplay flow and personalizable.

Matrices provide powerful stat boosts.

Pro tip

Matrices are gear sets attached to weapons that offer major stat boosts, often outperforming the weapon’s own stats. Popular sets like Crow or Samir are key for critical builds.

Tower of Fantasy

elevates the anime-gacha formula by giving players MMO-scale social interaction and deep customization through Matrices. With real-time multiplayer content like 4-player dungeons, 8-player raids, and open-world boss battles, it’s a substantial evolution from Genshin.

• ★ PlayStation – Top Up
• PSN Gift Cards

Zenless Zone Zero [Best Hoyoverse Game With Deep Combat Mechanics]

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• miHoYo
• For those of you who like
• HoYo
• ’s brand of storytelling, art style, and production value for gacha games, then you’re bound to enjoy this urban-themed action RPG. Unlike
• Genshin Impact
• and all other similar games,

Zenless Zone Zero

is a lot more respectful of your time. I, for one, can vouch for it being less grindy and more generous with pull currencies than most other gacha games, and I’ve played a lot.

Optimizing your favorite characters is a big part of the fun in these titles, whether you are perfecting your rotations here or searching for a top-tier Acheron build HSR to dominate the Simulated Universe.

Ultimately, this is the gacha I’d recommend to those of you who prefer challenging combat, impactful and strategic team-building, but don’t have much time for extensive open-world games. It has a well-written main story and lots of side quests, too, not to mention a whole host of expressive characters that you’ll get to socialize with through ZZZ’s Quality Time social-sim feature.

What makes the game shine:

A standard banner pity of 50–90 pulls, alongside over 100 free pulls and Polychromes from login rewards and events.

Engaging combat system with fun dodge mechanics.

Decked out with a Quality Time social-sim feature.

Pro tip

Executing a Perfect Dodge triggers a Dodge Counter, which refills your Drive Gauge and builds your Ultimate meter via Decibel Rating.

Zenless Zone Zero

carves its niche in the urban gacha genre by delivering generous pull mechanics, skill-based combat, and a polished mix of story, side quests, and social systems. The game offers a great balance of time-respectful gameplay and reward-rich progression.

★ Xbox – Top Up Xbox Gift Cards 9.

Final Fantasy XIV

Best MMORPG Like Genshin Impact

Our Score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, macOS Release Year Square Enix Want to play a Genshin -like, non-gacha multiplayer game with your friends? If so, then

Final Fantasy XIV

is your best bet, considering that it’s the biggest MMO that rocks that similar anime feel and (mostly) light-hearted narrative that Genshin has.

You’ll especially like

Final Fantasy XIV

if you prefer a more “hardcore” level of co-op, as FFXIV has a pretty steep learning curve due to how many macros and combat mechanics you’ll have to familiarize yourself with compared to other games on this list. Nevertheless, I highly recommend trying this one out due to its terrific storyline alone, which spans across multiple expansions.

What makes the game shine:

The Free Trial covers three expansions and allows play up to level 70 with no time cap.

Team combat requires mastery and feels rewarding.

Pro tip

The Free Trial includes the entire “A Realm Reborn” and “Heavensward expansions”.

Final Fantasy XIV

blends anime-style charm with true MMO complexity. It offers structured team-based dungeons, strategic combat depth, lush 3d visuals, and an expansive storyline that extends well beyond a traditional gacha title.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom

Best Anime Game with Outstanding Visuals

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• Games inspired by
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’s art style generally excel in terms of anime visuals (no surprise there), and while Level-5 didn’t collaborate directly with the studio as they did in the first game,

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom

is still an impressive sequel that sports that classic, Ghibli -style graphics that’s just a treat to look at.

Here, instead of pulling for characters through a gacha system, you collect cute little Higgledies that use elemental attacks in combat by discovering them as you explore the huge open world or via crafting. This game is a must-play if you’re a fan of Genshin’s vibrant 3D anime visuals.

I’m sure you’ll enjoy Joe Hisaishi’s soundtrack here too. Which really brings out that whimsical, fairy tale-esque vibe that Genshin Impact also has.

What makes the game shine:

Elemental powers and tactical nuance in combat.

Beautiful orchestral score composed by Joe Hisaishi.

Combat flows with seamless real-time melee and magic switching.

Pro tip

You gain the Spring Lock spell, which permanently unlocks blue treasure chests.

Ni no Kuni II stands out as a masterclass in marrying storybook visuals, meaningful combat systems, and musical artistry, all while offering action-RPG depth without gacha constraints. It’s a trustworthy pick for anyone drawn to Genshin -style aesthetics.

TL;DR for the Busy Gamer: Which Game Is the Best Genshin Impact Alternative?

• If you want a Genshin-like experience with both quality and momentum,

Wuthering Waves

• stands out thanks to
• a peak of 32,651 concurrent Steam players
• on launch day, around
• 780K daily active users
• across PC and mobile, and nearly
• $10 million in first-week mobile revenue

. It’s a top-tier rival in both taste and traction.

Games Similar to Genshin Impact:

How To Choose A Great Alternative?

Want to see if a game will satisfy your cravings as a Genshin Impact fan? Here are all the elements that you should keep an eye on if you want to find good titles that are similar to it:

Open-World Exploration

Genshin Impact has a massive open world with tons of exploration features such as gliding, puzzles, combat challenges, chests, world bosses, side quests, and more. Hence, open-world games full of things you can actually interact with and explore freely should likely pique your interest.

Here are five open-world games that didn’t quite make my list, but are very solid titles that you should consider trying out as a Genshin enjoyer:

Infinity Nikki Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Azur Promilia

UPCOMING

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